Animal feeders, including wildlife feeders, dispense feed, typically pelletized, grandular, and particulate feed, such as corn, soybeans, and nutritional supplements.
Wildlife feeders may be passive, wherein a hopper delivers particulate feed to animals through a multiplicity of tubes or passages under the impetus of gravity. Some of the tubes are designed for access by the muzzle of a deer, elk, cattle or the like.
Other wildlife feeders are active, having electrical motors operated on timers, which periodically cast feed. With most casting type feeders, the animals simply eat the food from the ground.
There has been a need for a passive wildlife or domesticated animal feeder which allows access to the feed in a head spaced below a hopper, while at the same time protecting exposure to harsh atmospheric forces (wind, rain, sleet, snow, direct sunlight, etc.) and the feed from “unwanted” critters (raccoons, squirrels, rodents, etc.), for which the feed is not intended. The outdoor environment in which wildlife feeders are placed includes exposure to elements which may deteriorate feed, and exposure to clever animals, which may deplete the feed intended for deer or the like.
While most prior art wildlife feeders have hoppers and feed troughs which keep the available feed well above the ground, critters and weather create problems, including wet feed and deletion of feed stores.